BEIJING, May 8 (Reuters) - China’s April exports rose 12.9 percent from a year earlier, rebounding from a drop in March, while imports grew 21.5 percent, both growing much faster than expected despite worries over an escalating trade dispute with the United States.

That left the country with a trade surplus of $28.78 billion for the month, customs data showed on Tuesday.

Analysts polled by Reuters had expected April shipments from the world’s largest exporter to have risen 6.3 percent on year, bouncing back from a 2.7 percent decline the previous month that was believed to have been heavily distorted by seasonal factors.

Import growth had been expected to pick up to 16 percent, compared with 14.4 percent one month earlier.

Analysts had expected China to post a trade surplus of $24.7 billion for April after a rare deficit of $4.98 billion the previous month.

China’s trade performance has got off to a strong start this year, following through on a solid rebound in 2017, supported by sustained demand at home and abroad.

But the export outlook is being clouded by the trade row with the United States, which could disrupt China’s shipments and its supply chains. (Reporting by Beijing Monitoring Desk; Editing by Kim Coghill)